A quick trip across the channel

What a mega awesome ultimate day.

So here is the picture:

1. Your daughter has just been proposed to by her long term French born partner in Paris.
2. You knew it was coming because he did the traditional thing and took his future father in law to dinner to ask permission.
3. You and your wife just happen to be in London crossing over holidays with them.
4. All of his family is in Paris at the same time, so you can finally meet the future father in law of your daughter (you met the mother in law 2 years prior when they came over for Xmas).

Do you say:

1. NO, I cannot afford the exorbitant expense of crossing via the chunnel for a six hour day in Paris? OR, more wisely,
2. Screw it, its only money and you do not want to regret this for the rest of your life?

Those who chose option 1, hang your heads in shame.  I chose option 2. And best of all, only the son in law knows, not our daughter, so it was a surprise for her as we had already told her no way, it costs way too much.

And what a day it was, at the time of writing this we have been basically on the go for 17.5 hours.

We woke just before 4am, we got ready and left the hotel to catch what we now realise was the first train of the day at the underground.  Because when we got there and saw the closed gates (see the pics), a mild panic set in.

We got to St Pancras (rail station for the chunnel) in plenty of time.  Through customs control and boarded, but the early start caught up with us, we both fell asleep and before we know it, we were in France.  We slept through the chunnel, doh.

We exit the train and off course Ebony and Kevin are waiting for us, she had twigged to the surprise, it was an awesome reunion, we hadn't seen her since Xmas 2018. But this was special for reasons only a father and mother can understand when they are seeing their newly engaged daughter.

A whirlwind roam of some sights, a quick visit to a shop as I had not packed any shirts for a special lunch, then of course lunch.

The venue was Ellsworth.  In short Kevin's half sister's friends who own two restaurants, she Ellsworth, he one just up the road.  And both nothing short of spectacular.  Complimentary champagne for all us and even though I usually do not drink wine, I had to partake in French champagne for the occasion.  Then the meal, I don't think I can do it justice, this meal was nothing short of jaw dropping excellence. If you are ever in Paris, then you do yourself an injustice to not dine here.

Of course we met Kevin's father, and his partner and half brother.  Awesome family, so humble and nice, we honestly could not ask for nicer in-laws.

After lunch, another whirlwind sight see before going to say hello to the other in-laws, Kevin's mum and husband.  It had to be quick as we had a 6pm train to catch with a 5pm check in requirement, luckily she lives one block from the station, so it was a quick 10 minute walk.  Sad but happy good byes and back into the system for the return trip.

This time I stayed awake for the whole ride, the tunnel is only 50.45kms long and takes 20 minutes to traverse, so roughly 150km/h through the tunnel, and near 300km/h before and after, what a blast, to travel under a water channel from one country to another in the space of 2.5 hours for a 6 hour trip.

As I finish writing this, it has been 18 hours now on the go, and I am still buzzing from a simply awesome day. A day I will cherish forever.  I have pictures of new family, tickets of the train ride, and English and French menus from the restaurant, all of which will be framed to memoralise a day I will never forget, and most importantly never, ever, in anyway regret at all. it was worth every single cent, pence, and waking minute.

2019-09-12 - Lunch in Paris to meet the in laws